Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust

THE Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust is facing a bill of more than £1million to tackle the impact of devastating ash dieback disease, which is infecting millions of trees across the UK.

The trust has decided to remove thousands of ash trees across its nature reserves in areas where falling dead branches pose a significant risk to the public, buildings or road users — in line with government guidance.

As the UK marks the 10th anniversary of ash dieback disease arriving in the country this year, the trust is launching a major appeal to help it cover the cost of tackling it.

With the cost of energy bills soaring, the economic squeeze and the new Government’s attacks on environmental legislation, conservation charities are facing more challenges than ever.

As a charity, the trust relies on voluntary donations to continue its vital work to restore nature in the climate and nature crises and the money needed to tackle ash dieback has put a huge but unavoidable dent in finances.

Chief executive Estelle Bailey says: “To all the visitors who come to our reserves, we want to say thank you, we know this work can look drastic and we are grateful for your understanding and patience while we tackle the effects of this terrible disease in order to keep our reserves as safe places that can inspire people’s love of nature and to provide safe havens for wildlife.

“We hope that one day in the future we will have a new generation of ash trees that are resistant to this dreadful disease.

“As we launch our appeal, we also want to thank everyone who is able to spare any amount to help us.

“We are in the midst of a nature and climate crisis and ash dieback disease is a part of that.”

The disease is present at more than three-quarters of the 80-plus nature reserves that the trust manages.

Senior land manager Mark Vallance says: “This is one of the most heartbreaking projects we have undertaken. However, it is absolutely vital we ensure that everyone who visits our nature reserves continues to have safe access.

“We have carried out all of this work in the most sensitive way possible.

“We are hopeful that some trees will prove to have natural resilience to the disease and can seed future generations that might one day restore our population of ash trees.

“In the meantime, we thank everyone for their understanding as we continue to do everything we can to mitigate the effects of this devastating disease.” The trust has spent £360,000 on tackling ash dieback disease since 2019.

The money is spent on hiring specialist contractors, who have already safely removed thousands of trees.

The trust is set to spend more than £200,000 in the current year and by the end of 2026 estimates it will have spent £1.2 million.

In some areas, the trust is looking to sell the timber it has cut down to offset some of the expenditure but due to the condition and often inaccessible location of affected trees it would often cost more to extract the wood than it is worth, so there is limited opportunity.

Reserve managers are also having to close footpaths and car parks for public safety while the work is carried out.

The trust is not alone as many other landowners and managers have been counting the cost of ash dieback.

In December the National Trust warned that it was expecting to spend £3million on the problem over last winter.

To make a donation, visit www.bbowt.org.uk/
ash-dieback-appeal

Pete Hughes